Game Editing Tools
Sitemap Game Editing Tools * See also Player_Created_Asset_Collaboration_System * See also Types_of_assets * See also Player_Creation_Contests * See also Player Created Assets --- --- --- --- --- A DIFFERENT KIND OF TOOL - USED TO CREATE AND EXPAND THE GAME : Reuse of Existing Asset Tools (Saves money for other things) ''' : There Are Existing Game Data Tools - 3D Modelers, Sound/Texture Editors, Animators, Programming IDEsIntegrated Development Environment, Code Control Systems, etc ... : Some game data is quite simple, and existing commercial Tools' well-developed usability can be utilized (AND with many people already '''experienced in using them). Translators for the game data can then convert data into the required MMORPG data formats (in the game industry, data formats vary a great deal, and vary significantly in the Game Engine features/flavors/systems they support). Open Source resources are available for many useful operations, and can be adapted/modified to process data sets developed for the MMORPG's purposes. Specific MMORPG Customizations can be made. Some of these are even Web Based (like Sketchup) with multitudes of existing users. Plugins (user scripted add-ons) can be created for the more complex MMORPG data formats to combine/integrate data from different available Third Party Tools. (Data Format Converters) Various WebTtools and frameworks can be used to integrate transferring and tracking the data required for Player Collaboration. The remaining Tools, which directly interface to the Game Engine, would be created allowing the seeing and testing/test-running of the MMORPG game Assets on the game itself (which is most needed for effectively/efficiently creating the Assets). - * Various Graphical Visualization Widgets - commonly used by 'Report' generation Tools (use Open Source when possible). Useful to make various Collaboration project data understandable. ((Can also be used for in-game Chalkboard displays - script driven (changeable) 2D Assets). * Texture Editors - 2D picture importers and data modification (basic Asset data which most players can figure out and use). * Text Composers/Editors (fonts, etc) In-Game document generation (and grunge-degeneration) for the MMORPG's Auto Generators. * In-game reporting to gather evidences for bug hunting and problem reporting (demonstrating the problem is usually much better than attempting to textually describe it, and having In-built Tools to record the situation details is far easier for Players to make their report useful). Web-based bug tracking Tools exist to be part of the whole Bug Reporting mechanism. * Forum and Wiki mechanisms (already out there) facilitating communications crucial to the Creation Collaboration between Players. And the list goes on and on ... --- --- --- NOTE - An Efficient and Useful WEB Interface (Suite) for the Online Creation Community can also be considered 'A Tool' ''' A Website with Online MMORPG Tools : Certainly there would be a distribution/download site for PC installed tools, but some tools might also simply be used directly online from an Browser-based interface(example - the Audio Diary picture converter mentioned above). The Asset Creation Tool suite would be quite extensive, with many complicated functions and uses (integrating Assets from many medias and file-types, editors, converters, validators, testing systems, tie-ins to the community publishing servers, etc...). Not every Player will do all the variety of creation activities, but many may specialize in providing partial data to others, thus requiring a minimized set of tools. --- --- --- '''Game Creation Tools - Quick Edit Features To Assist Asset Creation By Players: The Editing tools would be integrated to allow assembling/viewing the Asset immediately, instead of having to 'bake' a level (or whatever) to see the results. Often creation includes 'tweaking' things to get them to look right, with lots of small adjustments (in repeated cycles). By shortening the modification cycle (from separate tools doing edit-change/bake/view, to better integration actually showing the object in its game form virtually immediately) that process can be greatly sped up. Sometimes a simplified 'placeholder' for objects is used to speed up the editing display and the users modification manipulations (example is - to have shorter recompilation by not rendering unnecessary viewing details when placement is the crucial detail). This MMORPGs design changes the way the Game World is processed, with it all being composed of Building-Block Objects. This allows faster streamed terrain as 'directives' (data) thru the Network to the Client, and a local disk 'dictionary being maintained containing the bulk of the data. Identities and attributes are pulled from the Server to dynamically compose the scenery - 'On-the-fly', instead of the typical largely static 'levels' being pre-downloaded, in most games. This allows massive world changeability and persistent manipulations of the scenery/terrain to be affected by the Players, allowing the presentation of a more dynamic world environment. These 'Building Blocks' are designed with common elements, which means most objects do NOT have to be edited/created/built from scratch, and instead are modifications (mods), with much of the total work already existing, pre-done. Systematic Templates with inherited Attributes greatly decrease what the Player has to edit (and leaves more of their effort free for creativity). For composing groupings of Objects for a scene , Smart 'Snap In' attributes of those Objects help the user make them fit when editing - Auto-fitting - allowing quick selective cycling of obvious/common positioning options, and Auto-detection of Invalid/Conflicting positionings. Again leaving more time to the user to employ their creativity, with less tedious details trying their patience. Sounds like Magic ? Look at the way tools like Photoshop, Document Editors, the better Game level editors have gone to see what improvements are possible with Game Creation Tools. Simply a much larger integrated set of Tools and applications that such improvements could be applied to, across the board. --- --- --- Stageplay Editor : Editor for precanned 'scripted' Machinima Assets (3D presentation using actual game characters/props) used for Flashbacks, mission/quest interactions, Dialog-tree branches, and in-game Media presentations (like all those advertisements we saw). One advantage of the collaboration model is that Players can see/play with/edit existing presentations and can submit improvements/variants which can later be incorporated into the Servers active game assets. Another use is as part of tutorials to add a visual presentation/demonstration - game playing tutorials and asset creation tool tutorials and documentation. Some asset submissions could include scripted 'plays' that show off the object's features. The same mechanism would be shared/integrated into the 'test rig' system that is used to command an object to act out its behaviors for Testing/debugging. Testing 'scripts' would normally be provided with a submitted asset to save time/effort for the people who review/inspect/test them for acceptance. Features : * Timeline editing interface (to correlate/coordinate different components/agents) * Sound and action synchronization (many objects actions cause their oen inherent sound effects) * Scripting for keying off gestures/emotes (activating already existing motions/sounds) * Can be used to force move Player's Avatars/Team NPC's to fit canned interactions/dialog (quest starter scenes) * Branching Tree-logic can allow different sequences to be played depending on situational factors or Player responses (or even random subsequences to vary the content some). * Various Particle Effects can be incorporated and effect overlays (like funny sub titles ?) * Speech Generation (we are getting there with available programming) would allow easier to provide generated speech rather than requiring pre-recorded audio clips (which are limiting and more work to create and distribute). --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- . .